The Seed Bank at Navdhanya

Seeds of grains

Seeds of millets

Seeds of pulses

Seeds of spices

Seeds of trees

Seeds of fruits

Seeds of flowers

Seeds of vegetables

Most importantly, 

Seeds of hope!

A treasure trove of true riches

One of these days, while taking attendance at school, I came across a name - Beejshree. My ears perked up and I couldn't help asking the little lady the meaning of her name. She said it's a Devi's name and relates to the origin of the universe. 

I was fascinated. Well, the word 'beej' means a seed. As a logical fallout, Beejshree would mean the goddess of the seed of the universe. My thoughts immediately went to Vandana Shiva, the seed bank and my visit to Navdhanya during our enriching Fulbright Hays trip.

The power of one crown...

I was very excited to be a part of the YHS Fulbright Hays trip in 2022. More so, as a visit to Navdhanya, Dehradoon - Vandana Shiva's NGO and biodiversity farm - was on the cards. I have been a huge admirer of Vandana Shiva and to visit the hero in her own domain thrilled me no end. I had read about her seed bank and wanted to see it. A post on Vandana Shiva is in the pipeline. But let me tell you about the visit to the seed bank today.)

A seed bank was conceptualized to protect the rich agro biodiversity of Indian crops. Green revolution had narrowed down on promoting just a few crops and that too, only the the high yielding varieties. This would eventually lead to extinction of many crops - mainly millets and lesser known grains that aren't grown as widely. 

Maize, Rajma, Amaranth, Spices - seed varieties in the above picture

Seeds in glass jars

Seeds in clay pots

Seeds in bamboo baskets

Seeds in dried gourds

Seeds in metal cans

                                      Seeds air drying on ropes!

Seeds, seeds everywhere
and all of them to sow
A single seed will turn in many
To plant row upon row!

The seed banks function on the principle of 'Collect, Multiply and Exchange'. They are managed by farmers (mostly women) who can take the seeds from the bank and at the end of the growing season, return the seeds with an increment of 25%. The farmers also help each other with the know how associated with that seed. Navdhanya also assists them with technical know how, if needed. Initially, Navdhanya helps a community to set up a seed bank. Later, the communities start managing them on their own. Navdhanya has helped set up around 150 banks in 22 states till date. 

The seed bank that we visited at Navdhanya was just a representation of a real seed bank. As soon as we entered, we were welcomed by an astounding sight. Rows and rows of containers of various shapes, sizes and material. There were clay pots, metal containers, glass jars, bamboo baskets and even dry gourds being used as storage.

Rows and rows of glass jars - organised and labeled 

Seed storage containers all - hollowed and dried out gourds, bamboo baskets with clay coating.

Seed 'bandanwaars' - Seeds getting air dried

Small Seeds

Big seeds

Round seeds

Long seeds

Flat seeds

Groovy seeds

Smooth seeds

Black seeds

Brown seeds

Beige seeds

Tan seeds

White seeds

Fascinating seeds, all!

The YHS Fulbright-Hays participants and a few other visitors with Vandana Shiva at Navdhanya 

All our group members came out fascinated with this veritable seed museum. I am thankful that someone, somewhere is taking care of this huge promise of life because without seed, there's no food and without food, there's no life! The visit to Navdhanya was so much more special because I got to travel there as a part of the YHS Fulbright-Hays team, where everyone was invested in learning about sustainability. More to come  about this in future blog posts. Till then, take a moment to think about the magic of a seed!